Washing-machine.



` :NTTnDV STATES PATENT OFFICE. y

CALEB 'I'. REEDER, OF STEWARDSON, ILLINOIS.

WASHING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 665,131, dated January 1, 1901.

Application filed March 19, 1900. Serial No. 9,281. (No model.)

T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OALEB T. REEDER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Stewardson, in the countyof Shelby and State of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Washing-Machine, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates tov a washing-machine of that class in which plungers are employed to create asuction through the clothes, whereby to accelerate the process of washing the clothes.

This speciiication is the disclosure of one form of the invention, while the claim defines the actual scope thereof. y

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specication, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the machine with a part of the cover broken away. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the machine. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the parts in inactive position, and Fig. 4. is a bottom plan view of the plunger.

The machine has a body or reservoir a, which may be of any desired construction rendering it Water-tight. This body may be supported on legs a' and provided at its side with a box a2 (see Fig. l) for containing soap and other articles useful in connection with the operation of the machine. At the top of the body a, near the rear side thereof, a beam or bar b is placed rigidly, and this beam carries the cover b', which is adapted to close the box. This cover may be formed in one or two sections, as desired. Within the reservoir a is situated a preferably cylindrical pan c, the bottom of which is'perforated. This pan is supported on cleats a3, situated in the bottom of the reservoir a, as shown, so that the water may circulate freely under the pan c. The

sides of the pan c are also perforated, as illus-y trated. The pan c is removably held in placev by keepers c', which maybe of any desired form.

Fastened to the middle portion of the bar b, at the top thereof, is a plate d, on which is pivoted a standard d'. The standard d has a pivoted brace d2 attached thereto, the lower end of the brace being removably seated in a suitable keeper d3, formed on the plate CZ. By

means of this brace the standard d may be supported in the perpendicular position shown in Fig. 2, and when desired the brace d2 may be thrown out of the keeper d3, permitting the standard d to fall back to the position shown in Fig. 3. The front side of the standard d is formed with a number of notches, which are adapted to have seated therein a pin e', carried on the inner end of a hand-lever e and forming the fulcrum thereof. The hand-lever e is preferably formed of two side members fastened rigidly together by bars e2, situated, respectively, at the ends of the lever. The bar e2 at the inner end of the lever e is therefore in juxtaposition to the pin e', which forms the fulcrum of the lever, and for holding the lever with its fu1crumpin e' in the desired notch of the standard d I provide a lock-bar'f, which is removably held in guides f', attached to the standard d. It will therefore be seen that the lever e may be-placed at any desired position on the standard d', so as to adjust the plunger relatively to the amount of clothes contained in the pan c, and it will also be observed that by mounting the lever in this manner it is free to swing up and down to properly actuate the plunger.

The plunger has a cylindrical main or central portion g, Which/is arranged to reciprocate vertically through an opening b2 in the cover b. The upper end of this main portion g of the plunger is connected by a suitable shackle g' with the hand-lever c, so that the movement of the lever is transmitted tothe plunger. The central portion g of the plunger has an open lower end, and this portion of the plunger extends down into the pan c. The central portion g of the plunger carries an approxi mately-conical-shaped skirt g2, having a vertically-disposed lmarginal ange g8 terminating in a plane coincidentwith the plane of the lower edges of the central por' tion g of the plunger. The central portion g and the skirt g2 of ythe plunger are provided with a number of rigid strips g4, which are preferably fastened to the parts g and g2 and have their lower edges level 'with the lower edges of such parts. These strips g4, together with the lower edges of the parts g and g2,

Vserve as beaters for engaging the clothes, and

the plunger when forced downward upon the clothes presses themagainst the bottom of IOO the pan c. Then upon the return of the plunger zi suction is created in the bottom of the reservoir a, and this tends to materially nssist in the process of cleaning the clothes. The plunger keeps the Water in constant circulation, causing it to pass in and out of the pan c, as will be understood.

Various changes in the form, proportions, and minor details of my invention may be resorted to Without departing from the spirit and scope of myinvention. Hence l consider myself entitled to all such Variations as may lie Within the scope of my claim.

Having thus described my invention, l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- A Washing-machine, hzwinicg1 n reservoir, e

plunger working therein, t notched standard pivotally mounted on the reservoir, a removable brace Vfor holding the standard in operative position, a lock-bnr removably mounted on the standard in front of the notches, and n handdever connected with the plunger and having n fulcrum-pin capable of being sented in any one of the notches, the fulcrunipin being' held in place by the lock-loer.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

CALEB T. REEDER.

lVitnesses:

Cults. W. WILSON, THoMAs P. BIIANTZ. 

